In a tragic turn of events, Mr Thompson's wife Jenny had been piloting the tow plane needed to lift the AFK21 glider into the air before it appeared to nose-dive.

Darling Downs Inspector Stephen Angus said Mrs Thompson, also a competitive pilot, had landed her plane about 10 minutes after take-off, and watched on as the glider approached the landing field.

"When it was 15 metres from the ground (it has) subsequently crashed into a nearby cultivated paddock," Insp Angus said.

Another student pilot was the first on scene and attempted CPR on the two men but they were unable to be revived.

One member of the Darling Downs Soaring Club, who preferred not to be named, spoke of the utter devastation within the community in the wake of the tragic losses.

"It is so devastating for the club because it is unexpected in the circumstances," she said.

"It is very difficult, we are all trying to support each other and see what we can do."

Police will seize the glider as part of investigations into how the fatal crash occurred. Preliminary inquiries have ruled out a collision with power lines.

The investigation is expected to take a number of weeks as the Forensic Crash Unit liaises with aviation authorities including the Gliding Federation of Australia and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.